The project comprises a north-south transport link that provides a new bridge over the River Mersey in Cheshire, that will relieve the Silver Jubilee Bridge of much of the traffic that presently causes congestion. The new route will provide approximately 9.5 km of new and improved highways and calls for significant reconfiguration of the existing highway network at Ditton, Widnes Loops, Bridgewater, Halton Lea, Lodge Lane, Weston Point and M56 Junction 12. The Mersey Gateway Bridge will permit the Silver Jubilee Bridge to be reconfigured and restored to its function as a ‘local bridge’.The bridge will be 2.3 km long, passing over the River Mersey (1km wide approx.). The main deck will be made from reinforced concrete, while steel cables, departing from 80-125 meters pylons, will support the structure. The Mersey Gateway Project is a public-private partnership for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of a new tolled bridge over the River Mersey in the northwest of England, and includes significant redesign and reconfiguration of the approach highway network.